


Stitches

by sky_blue_hightops



Category: Video Blogging RPF, jacksepticeye
Genre: Cuties, Embroidery, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Exhaustion, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, Nightmares, Overworking, Panic Attacks, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Puppy Piles, Sibling Bonding, Sleepy Cuddles, Whump, fave fluff trope tbh, it's pretty light whump ngl
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-19
Updated: 2019-01-19
Packaged: 2019-10-11 11:30:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17446118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_blue_hightops/pseuds/sky_blue_hightops
Summary: Chase's been going nonstop, and JJ (and everyone else) is worried.





	Stitches

Honestly, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen his bed.

The past few weeks had been an endless onslaught of tasks to do, videos to film, anxieties to ignore, nightmares to avoid... Sitting still for too long meant the pressure in his chest that signified he could be doing something - _anything -_  more could catch up to him, and he was so, so tired of running.

To be fair, he was just plain tired. If he paused or stopped for just a  _second_ the weight of his eyelids became unbearable. Faces and words and emotions all blurred together, in those still moments, painting his life in watercolors except the paint hadn't dried and someone had just dropped it face down in the dirt because they had tripped on the shoelaces they had forgotten to tie that morning - 

Chase hummed, not really aware enough to be irritated with the way his chin dug into the carpet, body sprawled on the ground and shoelaces tangled at his feet. Being tired just increased the chances of his train of thought going off the rails, but he was pretty sure he had gone off the rails a good long time ago. He could barely feel the way the hatred he had aimed at himself crept up his throat. He was kinda used to it, and also kinda tired. Did he mention he was really tired yet? Hm. He couldn't remember. _Oh well_ , he thought. _Ground's not very comfy. Might as well start the day_.

* * *

 

JJ watched the vlogger very carefully from his seat at the dining table, eyes narrowed and fingers fiddling with the spool of thread resting before him. Chase had been bustling between the kitchen, living room, and room they used as a studio for non-gaming videos all morning, barely saying a word and only truly acknowledging the younger ego's presence with a spare pat on the head whenever he passed by. JJ wasn't annoyed by the lack of attention; after all, Chase had been shouldering many responsibilities in the past few weeks and was justifiably distracted. No, JJ wasn't annoyed. Concerned? Yes, absolutely, because how many responsibilities was...too many?

"Hey, kid. What's up?" A hand landed on his hair (the others seemed to like patting him on the head, but he liked the touch, so it was a mutually beneficial relationship), and he twisted in his seat to look. 

 _Hello, Jackie! 'Tis a fine morning!_ The eldest of their strange...group? family? sat in the seat neighboring Jameson's, red suit unzipped down to his waist, sleeves tied around to keep it secure, PMA shirt wrinkled and tucked into the suit, and the whole outfit (or mess, however one decided to view it) topped off by the shiny blue mask hanging from his neck. _However, I must admit my...concern._

Jackie looked up from where his phone was already in his hand, eyebrows slanted inquiringly. His other hand hadn't left JJ's head, so the younger scooted his chair closer to let Jackie sling that arm around JJ's shoulders and play with the longer part of the younger's haircut. "Concern?"

 _I fear Chase may be working in a manner far too intense for one person_ , JJ replied. His hands returned to the mess of thread before him, seeking out his needle and the bit of fabric attached to it. _I simply cannot remember the last time I saw him doing anything besides work from the moment he wakes to the moment he sleeps!_

Jackie exhaled through his nose, expression flickering between worry and exhaustion. "It's been...tough. On all of us. And some of us deal with things differently than others. Chase, well...if he's not busy, then he's sad, and if he's sad, then he tends to make bad decisions." 

It was Jameson's turn to pin the other with an inquiring gaze, even if it was ruined by the way his eyes half-closed at Jackie's touch. _And how do_ you _deal with 'things'?_

"Patrolling, punching people who deserve it, being with you guys..." He trailed off. "I guess sleeping is nice, too. Nice to just not feel anything for a while." His eyes glazed over a bit, recalling some old memory, phone limp in a slack grip in one hand and the other a warm weight on the back of JJ's neck. "He's okay, JJ. But he does need someone to keep an eye on him, every once in a while, so I appreciate it."

 _I merely wish to indulge my concerns._ JJ sat up a little straighter under the praise, nevertheless. _I don't suppose you may have some leisure time on your hands this good morning? These handkerchiefs certainly won't embroider themselves._

The elder grinned. "How 'bout you explain what you're doing and I watch? Don't wanna ruin what you've got going here."

* * *

 

Jameson's concerns subsided over the hours. Chase continued to keep up with his work, cycling between filming and writing and filming and planning and filming and talking on the phone and filming and - Well, just watching the man made JJ's head spin, so he contented himself with focusing on his handmade projects and only mentally checking up on Chase when he ducked into the living/dining room area for a spare end here, a lens cap there.

The others, including Jackie, faded in and out of the room as the day progressed. Each sat with him for periods of time, focused on their own projects, but the company was much enjoyed. It was nice, he mused, spending the day in the most-frequented part of their house. There was never a lack for visitors.

Also, Henrik and Jackie kept going in the kitchen for snacks for themselves and would somehow end up bringing him something on their way out, as if they thought he was hungry? The sentiment, if perhaps not accurate, was still appreciated (and he definitely wasn't one to turn down food). 

Now, if only he could get  _Chase_ to eat.

The concern he had formerly had for Chase's working habits quickly refocused on the elder's eating habits - Chase hadn't once sat down to eat at the table, and unless he had food stowed away in the studio room, he wasn't eating on the go, either. No breaks, and no food? A cause for concern, indeed. 

Hm. He'd try his best to catch Chase's attention the next time the man ducked in from the studio room, or when he finished this  _one last_ row of stitches, whichever came first.

* * *

 

Chase heaved a sigh, uncapped Sharpie in one hand and phone in the other. Filming as many videos as he did took a lot of planning and management, both of which he tended to...well, suck at. In his defense, he was more of a shoot (the camera) first, ask questions later kind of guy! A piece of butcher paper hung on the wall with the help of some of Marvin's floral duct tape, scribbled frantically on with black ink and highlighted in a plethora of colors. Tacks held red strings in place from where they criss-crossed over pictures, under other strings, through storyboards... It looked like research for a murder case, and he was gonna  _murder_ something if this headache didn't let up soon-ish.

A knock on the door interrupted his looping thoughts. "Hey, you gonna come join us for dinner, or...? Marvin made that pasta thing you like, the thing with the cheese-"

"Yeah, gimme a minute!" He raised his voice to reply back and winced, throat pulling painfully from all the laughing and yelling from a day's worth of filming. A glance back at the papers and notes prompted another spike of pain behind his eyes, so he sighed gently, capped the pen, and set down his phone. Dizziness washed over him, leaving behind residual nausea. Ugh. Maybe he'd feel better after a break?

He crossed the room and opened the door, having barely cracked it open before the chatter and laughter from the others hit him full-force. The lighting of the room, warm and comforting on any other day, was too bright - he realized, then, that he'd had all the lights off in the studio save the lamp on the desk. He resisted the urge to hiss and retreat, back to his dark room and his work, but the others had seen him and there was no way he could slam the door shut again without worrying the others - and that was the issue, wasn't it? He didn't want them worrying about him. They had enough to worry about, and if they thought he couldn't handle Jack's channel, they might try to take some of the work on themselves.

He could handle it. He could! What was he, if he couldn't?

Sometime between all the thoughts crammed in his head he had drifted over to the table, hunched slightly away from the light but a smile on his face regardless. He slid carefully into the seat between JJ and Marvin, and before he could so much as ask for someone to pass the serving dish, a full plate slid to a stop before him. He was  _fairly_ sure he kept up his smile and managed to mumble out a 'thank you', but everything else seemed to jolt out of focus once he took a bite.

He had always loved Marvin's cooking, whether from the magician's skill, his use of magic to get everything  _just_ right, or something sappy like it being 'made with love', but now? The once-delicious meal tasted too heavy in his mouth, something distinctly unsettling about it. He kind of wanted to spit it right back out, if he thought about it, but the look he imagined on Marvin's face after doing so had him swallowing and taking another bite. He'd take two more bites, he told himself. Two more and then he'd make up some BS excuse about needing to go to the bathroom, where he could sit there with the lights off until he could hear something over the roar of his heartbeat in his ears.

His hands shook, gripping the fork weakly. Were the others staring? Did they notice him acting weirdly? He took another bite, eyes watering from the onslaught of emotion and the way the light in the room made the backs of his eyes hurt. Panic threatened to creep up his throat, a reedy, sickly feeling.

Around the table, the other four exchanged looks. Chase had slumped over to the table, hat down as far as it could go and cheeks flushed. The stilted smile hadn't done anything to thwart the others' suspicious; in fact, it just looked sad coming from someone who normally shone like the sun. JJ had gently pushed a plate before him, receiving a surprised jolt and a hushed 'thank you' in reply. Quiet wasn't a word usually associated with the most extroverted of the bunch, but so far, 'thank you' were the only two words any of them had heard from him since he emerged from the hallway.

JJ watched Chase akin to how he had watched the elder that morning, eyes picking out all the little things that screamed 'hey I'm not alright', while Jackie, Marvin, and Henrik... _communicated_ across the table. JJ glanced away from Chase to watch the three of them speak in silent gestures and subtle facial expressions that held a meaning he couldn't decode. They were undoubtedly plotting some way to get Chase to bed without the man in question realizing he was being put to bed.

Chase raised the fork to his lips again and hesitated, trembling. JJ rested his hand on Chase's arm, careful to telegraph his movements but receiving another jolt anyways. "JJ?" Chase's voice was barely a rough whisper.

 _Perhaps you should retire for the evening_ , the younger suggested. _A night of rest can do a world of good!_ JJ counted the upward quirk of Chase's lips at the exclamation mark a success, but Chase made no move to get up from his seat.

"Nah, 'm fine. Tired, y'know?" He set down the fork. "We all are."  _Maybe_ the others weren't quite as tired as he was, but hey, it wasn't a competition or anything. They all were working hard.

_I'm inclined to believe you may need rest more than the others, Chase. Just a short nap? A bit of shut-eye?_

It...well, nothing seemed more heavenly than the siren call of his pillows and blankets. And surely he could continue working after a nap? "Alright, J. You win. Wake me up in twenty minutes?"

 _Sure_ , JJ acquiesced. Of course, he had absolutely no intention of doing so. In fact, twenty minutes? Forgive him, but suddenly he couldn't remember how to tell time. Twenty minutes sounded much like eight hours, the more he thought about it. Yes, that seemed correct. Wake Chase up after eight hours.

Fortunately, the elder didn't manage to catch the smug little smile on JJ's face, who had resolutely decided looking at a clock was  _not_ a priority this fine evening. Getting absorbed in his embroidery? Indeed. No time-telling devices involved.

~~And if the looks the others made at how easily he had put Chase to bed only widened that smug smile, well, no one had to know.~~

* * *

 

JJ's perfectly-executed plan for getting Chase to sleep through the night was rather inconveniently interrupted. Merely an hour later saw Chase stumbling back into the living room, hair wild and eyes wilder, barely making it across the carpeted floor before falling to his knees next to where JJ sat on the couch, mostly-asleep and only slightly paying attention to the television set. JJ half-rose out of his spot in alarm, hands finding Chase's shaking shoulders, but before he could get up fully, Chase wrapped his arms around the younger's waist and refused to either get to his feet or let go.

JJ slid to the ground beside Chase, their backs pressed against the couch and the elder's arms moving to pull JJ into his chest. JJ let himself be held, unable to do much comforting what with his arms pinned to his sides, but the feeling of Chase's tears dripping into his hair was enough to tell the younger exactly  _what_ state of mind Chase was in. "Couldn't- couldn't- oh, J, I couldn't see but I could  _hear_ -"

 _Shhh_ , JJ squirmed an arm out from the embrace to pat Chase on the mouth. _I'm fine. We're all fine, Chase. You'll be alright._

Another sob wrenched from the other's already-pained throat, chest heaving for air. His mouth fell open as if that would soothe the tightly-locked muscles around his throat and lungs, but he still couldn't draw in much air. _Breathe_ , JJ did his best to remind Chase, but the elder wasn't focusing on his speech slides. _Chase, you must breathe!_

He twisted some more in the hold, pressing both hands to Chase's chest. He could feel how the other's breath stuttered in his lungs, emitting short, crackly wheezes. Nothing he did seemed to help much - Chase spiraled, broken and unsettled and  _afraid_ , eyes squeezed shut, rendering Jameson's only way of communicating useless.

_Chase? Chase!_

The overhead light snapped on. Blinded for a second, JJ covered his eyes, other hand tucking Chase's face into his neck when he, too, winced. "Jamie?" JJ rubbed at his eyes, squinting, to meet Marvin's from across the room. The magician was half-hidden behind the door frame, peeking into the room with one hand on the light switch. His mask, usually snug on his face, was missing and his combed hair unruly. "Are you alright?"

 _No - I mean, yes - I'm just fine, but Chase-_ The man in question whimpered quietly, pressing deeper into JJ. _D'you mind turning off the light?_

Marvin did so instantly. Confusion still lined his face, but he seemed to understand the gist of what had happened. "I'll get the others. Just let him hold on to you. S'what calms him the most." 

JJ was inclined to agree, one hand sliding up to card through Chase's hair. The other's hands found their way to JJ's thin cotton shirt, knotting the fabric with a trembling desperation that told JJ not only was Chase calmed by the contact, he  _required_ it. They had switched positions - now, instead of JJ trapped in Chase's hold, Chase curled into JJ's as if he had never been held before, maybe touched but never  _held_.

_Shh. You're alright now, you're alright..._

He wondered what had happened to shake Chase up so badly. Echoes of the nightmares that disturbed his own sleep from time to time intruded on the edges of his focus, and he pulled Chase a little closer. Chase had been through so much, strong through it all, that Jameson knew there was no shortage of nightmare material. 

The television, broadcasting commercials for some then-forgotten news segment, warbled softly in the background. Barely heard above it, Chase's cries faded simply to the sound of a stuffy nose and hoarse breathing. Something hazy in the elder's eyes kept them unfocused, and a bit of the tension down Chase's spine eased, but his grip remained fast in JJ's shirt.

"J?" His tone lifted at the end like a question, but there was no inquiry in the word. Merely a need for confirmation - confirmation that the other was still present, still caring, still  _there_. JJ inhaled and exhaled deeply, doing his best to move his chest with the motion, to do anything that could serve as an inaudible reply. He attempted to hum, throat only producing a stuttered, extremely faint sound, but a sound nonetheless. ""m sorry, J."

 _What for?_  JJ asked, but the other either didn't think to look up from his hiding spot in JJ's hold or didn't care to. _Nothing you ask of me could require your sorrow_ , he continued. _I swear_. It was said with the unbounded determination that came with making a promise unheard - a promise, for someone else, but only known by the self. A promise only he could ensure was kept.

They sat there, intertwined, for the several minutes it took for Marvin to return with the others. A strange sense of peace found its way between them, a peace that rested in the half-second between heartbeats, in the stillness of the air settled like a heavy blanket around them. "Jameson? Chase?" It wasn't Marvin that called ahead to them, but Henrik, his voice growing louder as he walked down the hallway to the living room. Behind him, Marvin and Jackie followed, arms heaped with spare blankets and pillows. "I firmly declare a movie night, doctor's orders." Henrik crossed over to them quickly, pace brisk and movements sure as he kneeled and cupped Chase's cheeks and forehead. "Hm. Warm. How have you been sleeping?"

An exhausted look from Chase answered that question. Wordlessly, he unraveled a bit from JJ's side. Henrik let his hand linger on Chase's tear-streaked face, before rising to his feet once more. "Couch or floor?" Marvin asked, eyes glinting green as bedding levitated in the air. JJ patted the ground, already aware the couch wouldn't be large enough to fit them all comfortably. 

Henrik disappeared in the direction of the kitchen as Marvin took over organizing a little nest of sorts, blankets strewn this way and that, pillows stacked around the edges. The slight 'wall' of plush objects around their sleeping area for the night reinforced its comfortable, secure feeling, especially soft in the small light of the lamp someone had switched on. There was something mesmerizing about watching the shine of Marvin's magic weave in the air, faint glow bright against the otherwise-dimness of the room. 

Jackie helped their youngest gently pull Chase from his spot on the ground, guiding them to the makeshift bed. " _You_ okay?" He murmured in JJ's direction. He earned a hasty nod in reply, JJ's slightly-wavy hair falling forward into his eyes. JJ's shirt was wrinkled and tear-stained, but the initial terror of the night had given way to concern, care, and, well, tiredness. It was - he checked his phone - it was almost ten at night. Probably what would be considered an early night most days, but given the circumstances, seemed late. "C'mon. You wanna pick the movie?"

Some light returned to JJ's eyes, excited at the prospect of beholding another of modern times' cinematic  _masterpieces_! In reality, Jackie had never seen anyone save Chase so enthusiastic about Disney movies, but hey, it was perfect for tonight. Chase and Marvin had already curled up along one side of the circle of blankets, Marvin careful to keep Chase's back against his front and  _not_ exposed, one arm under Chase's head and the other hand rubbing circles into his shoulder. JJ joined them, tucking himself against Chase as Jackie occupied JJ's other side.

JJ couldn't think of a word to describe the sheer amount of comforting contact besides it simply being  _nice_. They all tended to be fairly tactile, on some level, but with all the working and rushing and worrying, they hadn't had time to sit together and just  _be_. And with Chase's shoulder against his cheek, and Marvin's hand in his hair, and Jackie's presence lining the entire left side of his body, he felt relaxed enough to fall asleep...

"Jackie? Here, I made-" Henrik paused. The clinking of ceramic mugs and metal spoons, the sound of gentle sipping. "Is he asleep?"

Another hand found its way to his hair. "Yeah, think so. Both of 'em are." A small pause. JJ let out a gentle breath, relaxing more. Chase was soundly out of it, by the sound of his soft snoring into JJ's ear. "You guys think it was another nightmare?"

A hushed muttering - a simple warming spell. "I don't believe Chase has been sleeping well lately, or much at all. We've all been pretty stressed, and rightfully so. I guess I just didn't expect him to try to take on as much work as he did." Marvin's hand shifted against JJ's head, twitching slightly, warm from the use of magic.

A quiet, harsh scoff. "It's Chase, Marvin. That man certainly does not do anything by halves." The swish of fabric as Henrik settled into a spot above all of their heads, and a calm sigh.

"JJ didn't even stay up long enough to pick," Jackie whispered. "Do you guys still want to watch one?"

"Mmph. Sleep," Marvin replied. "Sleeping is good. Movie tomorrow?"

Henrik yawned. "Indeed. We could use some time together. A rest day."

A long silence, broken by the whisper of the three still mostly-awake getting settled in for the night. JJ remained pliant as Marvin withdrew his arm from under Chase's head, accidentally jostling both of them slightly and murmuring complaints about his arm falling asleep. (Chase, of course, was unresponsive to the movement.) Henrik tugged a pillow closer, its corner brushing the top of JJ's head, and getting up momentarily to switch off the small lamp in the corner.

"Night," Jackie relaxed into the blankets.

"Good night."

"Sleep well, meine Brüder."

**Author's Note:**

> if you want some heavier whump check out my other jse fic! this, as of now, is my longest one-shot,,,, pride is not the word im looking for
> 
> also a shameless promo of the tiny art i did for this [here](https://softgreysweaters.tumblr.com/post/182075973418/jackie-is-my-son-and-i-just-want-him-to-be)


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